The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot Indians — John Shaqi
The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot IndiansWissler, Clark
Religion
The Sun Dance of the Blackfoot Indians
Wissler, Clark
Siksika Indians; Sun dance
At the fourth camp and on the fourth day, the natoas bundle is opened,
or its formal ritual demonstrated. Early in the day another tipi is
pitched before the medicine tipi and the covers are joined, thus
enlarging the space and providing for a few spectators. A few men and
women are invited to assist in the ceremony: the men use the rattles and
with the women aid in the singing. The father and other men sit on the
north side of the tipi, the former next the medicine woman's husband;
and the other women sit on the south side, the mother next to the
medicine woman. She directs the medicine woman and the singing of the
other women. The ceremony opens at about ten A. M. with the first series
of songs in the ritual. Three men hold a rattle in each hand, beating
them upon the rawhide by a vigorous downward forward stroke, the seventh
rattle is used by the father.
The ritual of the natoas will be found in Volume 7, pp. 215-220.
Normally, this ceremony transfers the natoas to the daughter. She may,
however, waive the right, in which case the bundle returns to the former
owner. Yet, she seems to enjoy all the privileges accorded to one having
been an owner.
Theoretically, no one can perform a transfer ceremony without having
first owned the bundle in question. In case of the natoas, even now, a
beaver owner is regarded as competent to conduct the proceeding, though
he may never have gone through the ritual with his wife. This is
consistent with the tradition that formerly the natoas was a part of the
beaver bundle.[6] Yet, the conditions here are slightly different from
those for other bundles in that the father must provide or is charged
with the responsibility to see that a natoas is provided. Following the
vow, either he or the son makes formal application to the owner of a
natoas by the usual presentation of a pipe.[7]
When the daughter begins her fasting, the father has the natoas brought
to her tipi. As a rule, the father's wife owns a natoas. Some informants
claim that even should the daughter own a natoas, the father must
provide another. On the other hand, the daughter can select the eligible
natoas. In any case, the father furnishes the daughter with a dress and
an elk robe for which he must be paid liberally.[8]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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